5 Tips To Buy Handmade Oriental Area Rugs from India    

Rugs produced in India are beautiful and very well made. Also, they are easy to place around the house, since they are naturally dyed, which makes them long-lasting and easily blendable with any décor. For these reasons, Indian rugs are highly sought after by people all over the world for decorating their homes, office, or any other place.

Rug making started in India from the days of the great Mughal ruler Akbar who brought Persian influences to the north of India and encouraged the art of carpet making. The weavers from those days passed on their skills to the next generation and this is how this craft survived to this day.

People looking forward to buying a handmade Oriental rug from India for the first time do not know where to begin. They do not know which aspects to consider for buying the perfect Indian rug that suits design preferences and fits well with their home decoration needs. To make it easy for such people to choose the right Indian rug for themselves, we are sharing some useful tips.

1. Gain knowledge about the characteristics of Indian rugs  

Handmade Oriental rugs crafted in India have certain specific characteristics which differentiate them from the rugs produced in other parts of the world.

Colors and Design:

Indian rugs are characterized by their singular, intense palette which is based on pink, yellow, light blue, and green colors. The palette is best exhibited in the typical bluish red known as lac red which is used solely for the grounds of fields.

Though the designs on Indian rugs are indebted to the Persian style , they are distinguished by their asymmetry and a strong sense of the pictorial, with close attention to detail and reality. The decoration in the rugs shows a preference for the naturalistic floral designs and figural scenes on directional layouts and the compositions are not elaborate; the most frequent layouts involve full-field distributions that use rows or grids, in-and-out palmettes, and prayer rugs. Indian rugs lack the characteristic decorative motifs which are present in Persian rugs. But still, they are rich, aristocratic, and refined.

Knotting:  All handmade Oriental area rugs from India are made by using the asymmetrical knot. They are technically superior due to their particularly dense knotting. This kind of knotting makes Indian rugs well-suited for rendering realistic figural details.

Materials used:  The foundation in the Indian rugs is generally made of cotton and pile wool. In the northern regions of the country, the soft and shiny wool of Kashmir is used for rug creation. Sometimes silk is used both in the foundation of the rug and for its pile. The pile is normally trimmed low.

Size:  Indian rugs are generally of medium or larger size and can reach as much as 150 x 240 inches.

2. Choose different kinds of rugs for different areas of the home  

Some people face difficulty in choosing a particular Indian rug for a specific room or portion of their house. These ideas can make their selection easier.

Living room:  If you want to cover your living room from wall to wall, you should go with the sisal rug as it is easy to maintain. If you want to cover only the sitting or sofa area in your living room, a Kashmiri Kaleen, shag rug or silk rug would be ideal.

Dining area:  Rich rugs are suitable for your dining area. Their charm and beauty would impress your guests as they dine. If you want to make the area look bigger and rich, you should opt for a high-pile or low-pile rug in pastel colors.  

Bedroom:  For your bedroom, a low-pile or wool rug is perfect. These two styles will not only impart a cozy look to your bedroom, but they are also easy to maintain. If there is a small seating area in your bedroom, you can keep the rug there or you can place it in front of your bed. Your bedroom should have rugs which have light colors.  

Study room:  Your study room is the personal space where you can relax in style while reading your favorite book. If you want to give a vintage look to your study room, you can choose between a silk rug and a Kashmiri Kaleen. Buy these rugs in bright colors like golden, brown, or maroon so as to make your reading experience brighter.

Bathroom:  If you have a bigger bathroom with a vanity, you can keep a small shag rug in your vanity area.

3. Various types of Indian rugs  

Based on their place of manufacturing, historical connection, design elements used, and other characteristics, Indian rugs are classified into various categories like Antique Indian Rugs, Floral Rugs, Prayer Rugs, Portuguese Rugs, and Figural Rugs. Before making any decisions or rushing into any design you should check first which one of these beautiful patterns is going to fit better or blend perfectly with your color palette or any other patterns that you may already have. Have a picture at the hand of your color palette or even the room you are planning on redecorating and then see if it matches that special rug you found. 

4. Other considerations to keep in mind   

To ensure you are buying an Indian rug made from natural fibers, turn over the rug shown by the dealer and look at its reverse. If its knots are uniform, the rug is machine-made. Compared to this, handmade rugs are coarsely knotted. A burn test is a good way to judge if the fiber used in a rug is made from silk and wool or from their substitutes. Silk and wool burn slowlier than their substitutes which can catch fire fast.

To make out whether natural dyes or artificial dyes have been used for imparting various colors to the rug, bend the rug for exposing the individual threads from the base to the tip. Synthetic dyes will color them even while the natural ones will show variance.

5. The right place to buy Indian rugs  

To buy high-quality and genuine Indian rugs for your home, you should visit an established and reputed physical Oriental rug store which offers a wide range of Indian rugs that are of different designs, styles, and colors. Alternatively, you can find affordable Oriental rugs online . You should only buy a rug after you are satisfied with its size, design pattern, color, and cost.

Magic Rugs is a renowned rug store that offers high-quality and authentic handmade Oriental area rugs including those produced in India for decorating homes, offices, and other places. Its rugs will make your place look elegant and appealing and enable you to create a great impression on your guests and visitors.